Method of kivistg equal pieces fbom a block



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY WHITE, OF ONEIDA CASTLE, NEW YORK.

METHOD OF RIVING- EQUAL PIECES FROM A. BLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 15,398, dated July 22, 1856.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY WHITE, of Oneida Castle, in the county ofOneida and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Machine forRiving Shingles, Staves, etc.; and I do hereby declare that the same isdescribed and represented in the following specification and drawings.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I willproceed to describe its construction and operation referring to thedrawings in which the same let-ters indicate like parts in each of thefigures.

Figure l, is an elevation of one side. m Fig. 2, is an elevation of theright hand'end. Fig. 3, is a plan, and Fig. 4, a plan of the workingsurface of the rotary cam.

The nature of my invention consists in so constructing and operating acam as to make it traverse the carriage and block under the frow, sothat the frow will first split off a portion of the block suiiicient fora number of shingles, and then split it in the centerand each of thepieces formed in the center successively, until the `whole block issplit into the proper number of pieces of the desired thickness to formshingles, staves, etc. Also in applying some springs so as to yield whenthe frow enters the block, and react to close the split when the frow iswithdrawn, so as to restore the block to a proper position for the frowto strike again.

In the accompanying drawings A, A, are legs supporting the rectangularframe B, B, made in the form shown to which frame most of the otherpart-s are fastened or connected. The sides B, B, are grooved as shownby dotted lines at C, O, Fig. 2, for the edges of the upper part of thecarriage D, which is fitted to traverse'in them, the lower part of saidcarriage being made to extend under the frame B, as shown by dottedlines in Fig. 2. This carriage has a permanent block E, at one end and astandard F, at the other with a movable block G, fitted to traversebetween them, so arranged that the bolt or block G to be rived or splitmay be placed on the carriage against E, and Gr, being pressed againstthe opposite side or edge; and the wedge H, driven in the standard F,over the bar I which is connected to the block Gr, so as to retain theblock Gr, in contact with the bolt Gr', while it is riven or split bythe traversing frow J, fastened to the frame K, K, which is fitted to,and arranged to traverse between the standards L, L, fastened into'theframe B, as shown and connected at the top by the bar M, as representedin the drawing. The p-ronged standard N, is fastened to the frame B, toform thel fulcrum of the lever O, which is connected to the frame K, sothat the operator can seize the lever O, and vibrate it to traverse theframe and operate the frow J to split the block Gr on the carriage; or apltman from a crank operated by steam, water, or other power may beconnected t0 the lever O, or frame K, so as to traverse it and operatethe frow for the purpose above mentioned. In order to traverse thecarriage D, so that the frow will split the blocks and parts of blocksin the center successively; I fasten two brackets P, P, to the frame B,to support the journals of the cam roller Q, which are fitted to turn inthe brackets.

The cam Q is constructed in the form represented; Fig. 4, being a planof its surface unrolled; that is, its periphery is divided into fourparts by four grooves or spaces R, which parts may be numbered l, 2, 3,and 4. Each of these parts is provided with a metal segment firmlyfastened there-V to and arranged in proper inclinations or angles to acton the pins S, S, in the side of the carriage and traverse the carriageas desired, so as to split olf a piece of a block and then split it inthe center, and also each of the two parts in the center successively.The cam Q, is turned by thel disk, T, fastened to one of its journalsand provided with four pins U, U, which are caught in succession by thespring hook V, in the arm W which arm is fastened to the frame K, sothat when the frame and frow are raised, the hook catches one of thepins U, so as to turn the cam and traverse the carriage a properdistance and in a proper direction, for the frow to split the block in aproper place; that is the carriage should be run to the extreme leftwhen the block'is put in and secured as above mentioned; then if themachine is set in motion the segment 1, will act on the first pin S, andtraverse the carriage so that the frow will strike 1, on the block, andsplit olf a proper thickness to make four shingles or staves, and whenthe frow and frame are raised the segment 2, will act on the same pinand traverse the Carriage, so that the frow will strike the block in thecenter or at 2, and split it, and as the machine is operated thesegments 3, and 4, will move the carriage, so that the frow will strikethe blocks at the lines 3, and 4, or in the center. Then the segment l,will act on the second pin S, and traverse the carriage, so that thefrow will split off another piece of a proper thickness for fourshingles or staves as be fore, by striking the block at the line 1a, andthe block so split off will be struck by the frow at 2a, 3a, and la insuccession when the segment l, will act on the 3d pin V, and the frowwill strike successively at 1b, 2b, 3" and 4b, and if the machine iskept in motion each of the pins V, will -be acted upon by all of thesegments in succession, until the entire block is split into shingleswhich may be removed and another block placed on the carriage and splitas above described.

The bar D is fastened to the legs A, A, to aid in supporting thecarriage D. The springs and are fastened to the blocks Gr, and E, so asto act against the block being split and yield when the frow is forcedinto the block Gr', and react when the frow is withdrawn, so as to closethe split made by the frow and bring the block or the several parts ofit into its proper position for the frow to strike again.

If a frow is driven into a block so as to split off a piece of a properthickness for one shingle or stave it is apt to run so as to make thepiece split off thin at the lower end. If several pieces are split offtwo three or more are apt to run thin at the lower end and then one willcome olf very thick at the lower end as much too thick as the otherswere too thin. But with my machine the frow splits 0E a piece ofsufficient thickness for a number of shingles or staves and then splitsit in the center and each piece in the center successively, until allthe pieces are of the thickness desired for the purpose intended.

There is a great advantage in splitting each piece in the center as eachpart has the same opportunity to spring and is far more cert-ain tosplit straight, soas to make each piece of a uniform thickness from endto end thereby saving the lumber from being wasted and also saving timeand labor in shaving the shingles or staves split. Besides siX thousandshingles is considered a large days work for a laborer to split by hand,but my machine is intended to split two hundred thousand in a day withone man to attend it.

I believe I have described the construction and operation of myinvention so as to enable any person skilled in the art to make and useit and .I will now state what I desire to secure by Letters Patent towit:

I claiml. Traversing the block to be split by means of devicessubstantially such as are herein described or their equivalents so thatthe frow will strike the pieces to be split in the center successivelyto split them substantially as set forth in the foregoing specification.

2. I also claim the springs as, and m', s0 applied as to yield when thefrow enters the block and react to close the split when t-he frow iswithdrawn substantially as described.

HARRY WHITE. Witnesses:

JNO. B. LooMIs, WILLIAM F. GREEN.

